In Google Ads, ad extensions, now officially called assets, are extra pieces of information you can add to your search ads to make them more engaging and informative. From sitelinks that point users to specific pages, to call buttons, images, and price menus, ad extensions help your ads take up more space, stand out in search results, and give potential customers more reasons to click.
In this guide, we’ll break down what ad extensions are, the different types available in 2025, and how to use them effectively to boost your ad performance.
What Are Ad Extensions?
Ad extensions in Google Ads are additional elements you can attach to your search ads to provide more details and improve visibility. They can include extra links to key pages, short callouts, location information, images, prices, promotions, and more.
By adding these elements, you expand the size of your ad on the search results page, give users more ways to interact with it, and often increase your click-through rate without any extra cost for the extension itself.
The Benefits of Using Ad Extensions
Adding ad extensions in Google Ads can significantly improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. They make your ads more visible, more informative, and often more appealing to potential customers. Here are some of the key benefits:
- Increased Visibility: Extensions make your ad take up more space on the search results page, helping it stand out from competitors.
- Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR): By offering more relevant information and clickable options, users are more likely to engage with your ad.
- Better User Experience: Extensions provide quick access to the information people are looking for, such as pricing, contact details, or promotions.
- No Extra Cost for Extensions: You only pay for clicks, just like with regular ads, and there’s no additional fee for adding extensions.
- More Qualified Traffic: By directing users to the most relevant pages, extensions help attract visitors who are more likely to convert.
Types of Google Ad Extensions
Google Ads offers a variety of ad extensions that you can add to your campaigns to make your ads more useful and engaging.
Using a mix of these extensions can help you capture more attention, provide valuable information upfront, and drive higher-quality traffic to your site.
Sitelink Extensions
Sitelink extensions let you add extra clickable links beneath your main ad headline. Each sitelink can point to a different page on your website, such as your pricing page, contact form, product categories, or special promotions.
They expand the size of your ad and give people more direct paths to the information they want, often improving click-through rates and helping you guide users deeper into your site.
When to use:
- When you want to highlight multiple offerings or services in one ad.
- When your site has essential subpages that deserve direct traffic (e.g., pricing, contact, promotions).
- When you’re running a promotion or seasonal campaign and need extra visibility.
Callout Extensions
Callout extensions are short pieces of text that appear beneath your ad description to highlight key benefits, features, or offers. They’re not clickable links but serve to emphasize selling points like “Free Shipping,” “24/7 Support,” or “Money-Back Guarantee.” By adding multiple callouts, you can convey more value to potential customers without occupying space in your main ad copy.
When to use:
- When you want to highlight unique benefits or features that set your business apart.
- When you need to promote limited-time offers or special services.
- When you want to add extra persuasive details without changing your main ad text.
Location Extensions
Location extensions display your business address, a map pin, and sometimes the distance to your location directly in your ad. They can also include your business hours and a clickable call button on mobile devices. This helps nearby customers find and contact you quickly, and it connects your ad with your Google Business Profile for accurate, up-to-date information.
When to use:
- When you want to drive foot traffic to your physical location.
- When showing your address or proximity could increase trust and conversions.
- When your campaign targets local customers or specific geographic areas.
Call Extensions
Call extensions let you add a phone number to your ad, making it easy for people to call your business directly from the search results. On mobile devices, this appears as a clickable call button, while on desktop, the number is displayed alongside your ad. You can also enable call reporting in Google Ads to track call performance and measure which campaigns drive the most calls.
When to use:
- When you want to encourage customers to contact you by phone.
- When your business relies on phone inquiries, bookings, or customer support.
- When you want to make it faster for mobile users to connect with you.
Price Extensions
Price extensions allow you to showcase your products or services alongside their prices directly within your ad. Each item in the extension includes a title, description, price, and a link to its specific landing page. This format helps potential customers see your offerings and costs upfront, making it easier for them to decide whether to click through.
When to use:
- When you want to display clear pricing to set expectations and attract qualified leads.
- When you offer multiple products, packages, or service tiers.
- When you want to promote time-sensitive deals or special offers with direct links.
Promotion Extensions
Promotion extensions highlight special offers or discounts directly in your ad, often with eye-catching labels like “20% off” or “Black Friday Deal.” You can set them for specific dates, occasions, or coupon codes, and link them to the relevant landing page. This helps draw attention to limited-time promotions and can boost click-through rates during key sales periods.
When to use:
- When running seasonal sales, holiday promotions, or special events.
- When you want to highlight discounts or coupon codes without altering your main ad copy.
- When you need to create a sense of urgency and encourage quick action from potential customers.
Ratings Extensions
Ratings extensions—often shown as seller ratings—display a star rating and review count beneath your ad, based on feedback from verified customers. These ratings are aggregated from trusted review sources and can help build credibility and trust at a glance. They’re typically automated in Google Ads and appear when your business meets certain eligibility criteria, such as having a minimum number of recent reviews and a high average rating.
When to use:
- When you have strong, positive customer reviews that can boost trust.
- When you want to stand out in competitive markets with visible proof of quality.
- When your business meets the eligibility requirements for seller ratings in Google Ads.
Image Extensions
Image extensions let you add relevant visuals alongside your text ads, making them more eye-catching and engaging. These images can showcase your products, services, or brand in action, helping to instantly communicate value and attract more attention in search results. They appear next to your ad copy on both desktop and mobile, following Google’s image quality and format guidelines.
When to use:
- When you want to highlight products, services, or brand identity visually.
- When adding imagery can help explain your offer faster than text alone.
- When you’re aiming to stand out in competitive search results with a more engaging ad format.
Structured Snippets Extensions
Structured snippets let you showcase specific aspects of your products or services in a list format under a predefined header. For example, you can use headers like “Services,” “Brands,” or “Destinations,” followed by a short list of related items. They’re not clickable but give potential customers a quick snapshot of what you offer, helping them decide if your ad is relevant.
When to use:
- When you want to highlight a range of offerings within a single category.
- When listing options (e.g., service types, product categories, destinations) can help prequalify clicks.
- When you need to provide more detail without cluttering your main ad copy.
Lead Form Extensions
Lead form extensions allow you to capture customer information, such as name, email, or phone number directly from your ad without sending users to a separate landing page. When someone clicks the call-to-action, a Google-hosted form appears, pre-filled with details from their Google account if available. This makes it quick and easy for potential customers to submit inquiries, sign up for offers, or request more information.
When to use:
- When you want to generate leads directly from the search results.
- When simplifying the sign-up process can improve conversion rates.
- When you’re running campaigns focused on collecting contact details for follow-up.
App Extensions
App extensions let you add a direct link to your mobile app alongside your search ad, making it easy for users to download or open it. When someone clicks the extension, they’re taken to the app’s listing in the relevant app store based on their device type. This is especially useful for businesses with apps that complement their products or services, or for promoting app installs alongside website visits.
When to use:
- When you want to drive more installs or engagement for your mobile app.
- When your app plays a key role in your customer journey or service delivery.
- When you want to target both web traffic and app users in the same campaign.
How to Add an Ad Extension on Google Ads
- In Google Ads, go to Ads & assets → Assets.
- Click the blue “+” button and choose the asset type
- Use the Add to dropdown to pick the level: Account, Campaign, or Ad group.
- Fill in the required fields for that asset, then Save. Examples:
- Sitelink: link text, final URL.
- Callout: short text snippets.
- Structured snippet: header + at least 3 values.
- If prompted, associate the new asset with the campaigns or ad groups you want. You can manage associations in the Associations tab.
- Optional settings: add scheduling, start/end dates, or device preferences where available, then save.
- Repeat as needed. Use multiple relevant asset types. For sitelinks, add at least 4 to improve eligibility.
- To review or edit later, return to Ads & assets → Assets, find the asset, and use the pencil icon or the Associations view.
What are Automated Google Ad Extensions?
Automated ad extensions, now called automated assets, are extra pieces of information that Google Ads creates and displays with your search ads automatically, without you having to set them up manually. Google’s system scans your ads, landing pages, and other online content to determine what additional details could improve performance, then generates relevant assets in real time.
These can include:
- Dynamic sitelinks – Links to popular or relevant pages on your site.
- Dynamic callouts – Short phrases highlighting benefits, pulled from your site.
- Dynamic structured snippets – Lists of products, services, or features found on your site.
- Automated location assets – Your business address and map pin, if available.
- Seller ratings – Star ratings from verified customer reviews that meet eligibility requirements.
- Dynamic business information – Business name and logo pulled from your site or Business Profile.
- Dynamic image assets – Relevant images selected from your site or landing page content.
The main advantage of automated assets is time-saving convenience. Google continuously tests and adjusts them to show the combinations most likely to boost your click-through rate. However, you still have control. In your account settings, you can view performance data for automated assets, keep the ones that are working well, and opt out of any you don’t want to show.
For the best results, combine manual assets with automated ones. Manual assets let you control your core messaging. In contrast, automated assets can capture additional opportunities you might not have considered, helping your ads stay fresh, relevant, and competitive in real time.
Conclusion
Ad extensions in Google Ads are one of the simplest ways to make your search ads more engaging, informative, and effective. By adding the right mix of extensions, such as sitelinks, callouts, images, prices, or promotions, you can increase your ad’s visibility, give users more reasons to click, and ultimately drive higher-quality traffic.
With the added option of automated assets, you can also let Google identify and display extra information that might improve performance. Start by choosing the extensions most relevant to your goals, test different combinations, and use the performance data to refine your strategy for even better results.
FAQs on Google Ad Extensions
No. There is no additional charge for using ad extensions. You are charged the same cost per click as you would for a regular ad when someone interacts with your extension.
Use as many relevant extensions as possible. Google will choose the most suitable ones to display based on factors like ad rank, device, and user intent.
Yes. You can set schedules, start and end dates, and device preferences for most extensions to control when they appear.
Yes. Most ad extensions are mobile-friendly and may include mobile-specific features such as a click-to-call button in call extensions.
Not always. Even if you set them up, extensions will only show when Google predicts they will improve performance and when your ad meets the required ad rank.
